Aurangzeb row | Adityanath says it is 'treason' to celebrate foreign invaders who tried to destroy 'Sanatan culture'

'Glorifying the foreign invaders means strengthening the base of treason and free India will never accept such traitors under any circumstances', Adityanath said.

Lucknow: Terming those who glorified the foreign invaders as ‘traitors’, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that the ‘new’ India would ‘’never accept such traitors’’.

Speaking at a function in Bahraich, Adityanath said that every citizen must have respect for the ‘great’ men of the country and must not ‘glorify’ the foreign invaders.

‘’Glorifying the foreign invaders means strengthening the base of treason and free India will never accept such traitors under any circumstances,’’ the chief minister said.

He said that these foreign invaders had ‘trampled’ India’s ‘Sanatan culture, physically harassed our daughters and attacked our faith’’ and the ‘’new India was not ready to accept their glorification.

Adityanath said that the world today recognised India’s heritage. ‘’No country can progress by ignoring its cultural heritage,’’ he added.

The chief minister’s remarks came amid the raging controversy over alleged ‘glorification’ of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi and days after the refusal of the UP government to organise the ‘Neza Mela’, an annual event held in the memory of Syed Salar Masud Ghazi, the nephew of Mahmud Ghaznavi, an 11th century Muslim ruler, who was a ‘plunderer’ and ‘looter’, in Sambhal, which had witnessed large scale violence during a court mandated survey of a Mosque last year resulting in the death of four people.

Interestingly, Baharaich houses the tomb of Ghazi and an annual fair is also organised at its tomb. There is uncertainty if the fair will be held this year.